Planting a good variety of nectar plants for monarchs to use during summer into fall when migration peaks is important in helping the monarch butterfly sustain the long migration south.

Written by

Robert Zimmer
Gannett Wisconsin Media

For many gardeners, the vision of a regal monarch butterfly sailing through the summer garden brings a sense of joy and pride. Memories of monarchs reach back to our youth.

From spotting the large, colorful caterpillars among roadside milkweed plants to watching the huge, brightly colored adults wing from flower to flower as they feed on the rich nectar, monarchs bring three seasons of joy to those who follow their journeys.

The monarch is in trouble. An especially severe drought last summer and fall, along with habitat loss in the mountains of central Mexico where hundreds of millions of ...